Yup, elilo.efi can read FAT partitions, so: UEFI loads elilo.efi, elilo.efi loads elilo.conf and then loads files as specified, and there's no /sbin/elilo to run!
(You can run elilocfg if you're doing weird multiboot stuff and adding more operating systems, but I've never figured out how to make that work properly. I let the installer run it during installation and leave it alone thereafter.) To answer your question, ELILO, of course, because Slackware. Well, at work I have to use GRUB for booting from UEFI because not Slackware, and it is much less pleasant. But ELILO sure seems to work fine for me whenever I use it. Ben On Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 07:34:42AM -0500, J. Milgram wrote: > > Hi Ben! > > Thanks for this. All the adding of stanzas to elilo.conf for additional > kernels is very LILO-esque, all makes sense. > > The part I couldn't fathom was: after setting up elilo.conf and moving > kernels and initrds to the right locations, shouldn't there be some command > one runs analogous to /sbin/lilo that maps the files and writes a bit of > boot loader code somewhere that lets BIOS (or EFI) find them on the disk? I > don't find a bin/elilo or sbin/elilo anywhere on the system. > > <light going on> ... is it that UEFI firmware has FAT filesystem > functionality built in, enough for it simply to look at the EFI partition, > find the files needed and go from there? That must be why there's no > /sbin/elilo or similar that needs to be run ... ? I guess the loader > functionality is in the .efi executable in the EFI partition? > > If so, that is indeed very cool. Will let you know how it goes. > > BTW I'm reading that ELILO is a bit passe'. The Sourceforge page says > "status abandoned" and latest version is 2016. Is there some problem with > it? What are people using nowadays? > > thanks again > Judah > > > On 11/9/23 19:18, Ben Stern wrote: > >Hi Judah! > > > >TLDR: overwrite your /boot/efi/EFI/Slackware/vmlinuz and > >/boot/efi/EFI/Slackware/initrd.gz and you're done (assuming the filenames > >are correct for your /boot/efi/EFI/Slackware/elilo.conf). > > > >Longer explanation: > > > >UEFI is weird for those of us who know and love LILO. > > > >If you're not saving your old kernels and initrds because you like to live > >dangerously, it's just a matter of overwriting the default kernel and initrd > >as above. > > > >If you are saving them, it's not that different, you just have to edit > >/boot/efi/EFI/Slackware/elilo.conf to make sure the new kernel (plus initrd) > >and the failsafe kernel (plus initrd) are mentioned properly. > > > >Here's an example from a system of mine: > > > >----------- > > > >chooser=simple > >delay=50 > >timeout=50 > ># > >image=vmlinuz-generic > > label=Generic > > initrd=initrd.gz > > read-only > > append="root=/dev/mapper/luksnvme0n1p3 vga=normal ro" > > > >image=vmlinuz-huge > > label=Huge > > read-only > > initrd=initrd.gz > > append="root=/dev/mapper/luksnvme0n1p3 vga=normal ro" > > > >image=vmlinuz-failsafe > > label=Failsafe > > read-only > > initrd=initrd-failsafe.gz > > append="root=/dev/mapper/luksnvme0n1p3 vga=normal ro" > > > >----------- > > > >The first entry is based on the distro. When I upgrade my kernel, I rebuild > >my initrd, and copy the distro kernel and the new initrd over the old > >/boot/efi/EFI/Slackware/vmlinuz-generic and /boot/efi/EFI/Slackware/initrd.gz > > > >It just works, zip zop zoop. > > > >The second entry is a failsafe using the huge kernel because it's got > >everything in it. I overwrite vmlinuz-huge with the new vmlinuz-huge and > >use the same initrd (because I have full disk encryption and need an initrd, > >otherwise that wouldn't be there either). > > > >The third one is my failsafe kernel and initrd, based on a distro (generic) > >kernel that worked at one point so I know it works. I keep that around for > >good luck. > > > >Ben > > > > > >On Thu, Nov 09, 2023 at 08:54:35AM -0500, J. Milgram wrote: > >>Greetings All! > >> > >>Have a beginner question. > >> > >>I've been using LILO since Day 1 and all was well. Have been running > >>old-style BIOS machines ever since. > >> > >>Now I've acquired my first UEFI machine [1] and am trying to wrap my head > >>around it. The Slackware install procedure took care of everything > >>seamlessly and it boots OK. (Once I figured out that I needed a small EFI > >>partition.) > >> > >>But now slackpkg has upgraded the kernel and I know (from my LILO days) that > >>I have to do something to update the loader. Can anyone point me to a good > >>tutorial on how this all works? > >> > >>Apparently I copy the new kernel to /boot/efi/EFI/Slackware, maybe make a > >>new initrd.gz and copy that there too, and then have to run something ... ? > >>The machine is still running the install kernel and I plan to leave it > >>running until I figure this out (and I have a USB rescue stick too.) > >> > >>Are elilo and grub two mutually exclusive things, or might one need to > >>reconfigure/reinstall both for the new kernel? > >> > >>Back in my day, etc etc. :) > >> > >>thanks! > >> > >>r/ > >>Judah > >> > >>[1] - Evolve Maestro III, $80 from MicroCenter... curiosity got the better > >>of me. A nice machine so far. > >> > >> > >>-- > >>===== > >>milg...@cgpp.com > >>301-257-7069 > >> > >>You received this email because you are subscribed to the UM Linux User's > >>Group (UM-LINUX) mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe from this > >>list, simply send an email to lists...@listserv.umd.edu with the message > >>signoff UM-LINUX in the body. > > -- > ===== > milg...@cgpp.com > 301-257-7069 -- Ben Stern This space intentionally left blank. You received this email because you are subscribed to the UM Linux User's Group (UM-LINUX) mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe from this list, simply send an email to lists...@listserv.umd.edu with the message signoff UM-LINUX in the body.
